Manchester United 3 Tottenham 0: Alex Ferguson's boys are the masters

THE young guns underlined why Sir Alex Ferguson urged Manchester United fans not to “fret” about the lack of a stellar signing this summer.

Manchester United's Danny Welbeck flies in to head home a cross from Tom Cleverley []

The second youngest side Ferguson has ever fielded in a Premier League game ensured Tottenham’s Old Trafford misery continued for another year.

And the youthful exuberance of players such as Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Anderson showed that Ferguson has been right not to cave in to Wesley Sneijder’s wage demands to bring him in as Paul Scholes’ replacement.

As good a player as Sneijder is, United don’t appear to need him with Fergie’s new wave rising to the challenge.

Cleverley sent over a pin-point cross for Welbeck to break Spurs’ resistance with a towering header after an hour.

And Welbeck then produced a clever back-heel for Anderson to crash home the second as United joined neighbours City and Wolves at the top of the Premier League with maximum points from their first two games.

Manchester United 3 Tottenham 0

It could have been more, but for the heroics of veteran keeper Brad Friedel, though Wayne Rooney wrapped it up with a late header.

At the other end David de Gea will be boosted by some safe handling and his first clean sheet for the club.

With Rio Ferguson and Nemanja Vidic both out injured, Ryan Giggs on the bench and Scholes and Edwin van der Sar both now retired, Ferguson’s team averaged just 23 years of age.

There may have been four home debutants – De Gea, Phil Jones, Cleverley and Ashley Young – but there was the familiar fast start from United who threatened three times in the opening minutes.

Younes Kaboul had to move smartly to prevent Welbeck from converting Young’s cross. Then Rooney couldn’t get enough power behind a header from Nani’s cross and Friedel made a comfortable save. But he had to go full stretch to prevent Cleverley scoring his first senior goal for United.

De Gea’s confidence clearly hadn’t been affected by the two ‘soft’ goals he conceded in his first two competitive games.

In front of the Stretford End, he tried to dribble a back-pass from Jonny Evans round Rafael van der Vaart, but was tripped by the Dutchman for his audacity and won a free-kick. Even though he got away with the move, it wasn’t the wisest of judgments.

De Gea’s first two saves were routine – from tame shots by Gareth Bale and Van der Vaart – but were still greeted with relieved applause by the United crowd, clearly anxious to get behind the new goalkeeper. He also held on comfortably to a more powerful effort from Niko Kranjcar.

United looked the more dangerous team, counter-attacking Spurs with tremendous pace. Welbeck linked well with Rooney to carve out a chance for Young. Rooney lofted the ball over Benoit Assou-Ekotto for Young to headed inches wide.

De Gea showed safe hands again when fielding a Van der Vaart effort just before half-time. Referee Lee Probert then lectured Nani and Kaboul after a flare-up, with the Tottenham player complaining of a late challenge.

Tottenham were forced into a change at half-time with Vedran Corluka replacing Kyle Walker who had been taken ill in the dressing room. Young had a shot saved by Friedel before De Gea’s nerve was tested again by a grass cutter from Jermain Defoe.

The breakthrough came on the hour with a goal made and scored by two of United’s young guns. Cleverley delivered the perfect cross from the right for Welbeck to climb unmarked between Michael Dawson and Kaboul to head home.

Rooney came close to adding a second moments later when his curling shot was clawed round the post by Friedel, who was having his usual outstanding game at Old Trafford.

It was the signal for an all-out assault form United with Welbeck twice being denied by Friedel and Nani also going close.

And inevitably a second goal came with a brilliant strike by Anderson after a clever back-heel from Welbeck in the 76th-minute, while Rooney – who else – headed in a third after 87 minutes just for fun.